I want to begin this by being honest, this is about a girl. It’s not about getting a girl back or changing for a girl, but it’s about a girl that made me realize one thing. That no matter how creative, how passionate, how caring, no matter how great of a personality you have…most people have a shallow set of standards and no matter how amazing you are, they can’t get past something like weight.

So I’m not doing this because I want to fit within some sort of mold or the standards our society sets. I’m doing this because recent experiences have made me realize that if I want to be around for the people I love, for my friends, for my family, for my soon to be niece, and for anyone who’s life I touch…I need to make drastic changes, or simply put, I won’t be around.

This is about undoing the ways I’ve become set in over the 28 years of life, to show that if you truly want to be something or achieve something, that if you put forth the effort, the result you want can come.

But…I can’t do it alone.

For years I’ve tried on my own, I’ve peaked and I’ve used every excuse in the book. The fact is, is that I don’t know what I’m doing. But with the support of friends and family I know I can make this goal happen. I know I can do it right and not cheat. Because if we do this together, I won’t be just doing this for me, but I’ll be doing it for everyone who helps me along the way. And while we’re on that path, hopefully we can both improve each others life and learn something together. If I can affect one person in the process of doing this and change our lives together, then it will be worth it to me.

It’s hard to trust all the information….so I want to hear from all my friends and I want you to pass this along to your friends, because I want to hear from real people what has worked for them, what are some things I can try, how can I make changes, etc.

It was once suggested to me by this girl that I should get surgery…but you know what? I don’t take the easy way out. I’m not going to put my trust in something that has high death rate, something that can end up hurting me more than it helps me. I believe in myself more than that. I believe that if I put my mind to something and that if I have a strong support group, that I can make anything happen. That no venture is too risky, because during my journey, I’ll have all of you to pick me up when I’m down and guide me when I lose sight.

So PLEASE, share with me, give me advice, tips, or just a word of encouragement. Share this with your friends and family and hopefully we can all be inspired to make the changes we feel we’d like to make….not the changes someone tells you to make.

THE GOAL: My goal is to lose 100lbs. I would LOVE to try and tie this to something charitable, a way to raise money for a good cause. Will I be the first person ever who tries to lose 100lbs? No, not at all…but I want to make something of this. I want to use this is a platform of communication. I want to be a guinea pig to society and show that we as humans, Americans, can band together and do good together. Do I want to stop at 100lbs, no? not at all…but this is the initial goal.

WHO IS ALTON LOCKE? This is where if you know me, you know I think outside the box a bit. My goal isn’t just to lose weight, but to become the person I see myself as deep down, I’ve dubbed this idea Alton Locke. I want to start to expand my knowledge, try new things, do new things, create as much as possible, write a song every week, travel, meet new people….just live life to its fullest while appreciating the finer things in life, but never forgetting the simply things. Alton Locke represents a well kept, knowledgeable, interesting, and talented man. It’s a representation of a set of ideals that I’d like to represent. This blog will further illustrate this as I go because I will be posting and keeping track of the different things in life I’d like to experience and share with you.

THE FIRST STEP: My first step is to start a cleanse tomorrow. I want to push myself with something tough off the bat that isn’t necessarily physically demanding but more so mental. I want to clear my body of the toxins and start fresh. Within those 10 days (I may do 21 depending on how the 10 go) I would like to come out with a clear plan on how my eating habits. So tomorrow I’ll also be clearing out all the food in my place.

SO PLEASE JOIN ME ON THIS PROJECT, HELP ME REACH MY GOAL AND MAYBE TOGETHER WE’LL REACH OTHER GOALS. SHARE THIS WITH EVERY ONE YOU KNOW AND PLEASE HELP. If you’re my friend you won’t call me lame or a fag for reaching out like this. I want to take a stand and show people that no matter what the changes you want to make may be, that together, with the support of the people around you….that anything is possible.